Fudge This I Do (Not)
by jpangel97
Summary: Run. The only thought that made any kind of sense. Run. The only thought that mattered. Run while you still can! Get away before it's too late! Run before you don't have a choice anymore! Set in the Underfell universe, follow Frisk through her journey to make it through the Underground alive. Involves swearing & violence. (Frisk is depicted as female and 19 years old) *title edited
1. Run

_Run._

That was the only coherent thought passing through her mind at the moment.

 _Run._

The only thought that made any kind of sense.

 _Run._

The only thought that mattered.

 _Run while you still can!_

 _Get away before it's too late!_

 _ **Run before you don't have a choice anymore!**_

She couldn't stop, not for a second. Her breath coming out in heavy, wheezing pants as her lungs struggled to take in as much oxygen as they could in their pitiful attempts to keep up with her body's exertion.

Relentlessly the girl pushed herself forward, her steps in sync with the throbbing pulse of her blood pumping through her veins. The beat of her heart pounding in her ears as she navigated her way through the underbrush, barely giving thought to the endless number of cuts in her skin and tears in her clothing from low hanging branches.

Every part of her felt as if it were on fire.

Her legs like two young saplings being burned from their roots to their trunks. Her arms like overcooked noodles; dead weights that she was sure would have been flopping in the wind behind her had they been let loose from their bent position. The stitch in her side screaming that if she went on like this something would give, something she sure as hell knew she would not be able to fix on her own.

Despite all of her wheezes, aches, and pains she refused to stop.

She refused all of her bodies protests because she knew that in the end it would all be worth it.

Dark shadows danced across the landscape as the setting sun sank further beyond the horizon. Its dazzling golden light illuminating the treetops in such a way, one would think it was a desperate plea by the heavens to stay but a few precious moments longer. Evening was fast approaching and the young woman couldn't afford to waste even a second if she wished to reach her destination before nightfall.

Mt. Ebott.

Many a tale had been told of this particular mountain, legends telling of creatures so horrifying and dangerous that man had been left with no other choice, but to seal them away for the rest of eternity. Like all the others of her town she had grown up hearing these stories; fables meant to keep the little ones in line for fear of invoking the wrath of monsters with a taste for the flesh of naught children.

The girl thought of this as she ran; in the back of her mind recalling long ago when she had first heard the whispers of these supposedly 'unholy terrors.'

~}{~

" _What do you mean there's monsters under the mountain?" asked a small girl of six years. She'd been sitting beneath an old cherry tree, comfortably nestled in its roots to make flower crowns from the fallen spring blossoms when she'd heard voices coming from the right._

" _Exactly what it means pipsqueak," says a large boy three years her senior. Behind him stood a pair of male twins, both giggling as an angry red blush colored her pouting cheeks._

 _She'd always been mild-mannered, her face rarely ever showing her true feelings. It was a trait most found odd in a child her age; many times she'd caught the envious looks adults with rowdy kids would spend her guardians. How they in turn would try and fail to suppress their own looks of smug superiority at having such a well behaved child in their midst. However a child was still just that, a child no matter how mature they seemed and could still be angered if one simply knew the right buttons to push._

" _Hey, I'm not a pipsqueak!"_

 _And her height had been on of them._

" _Yeah you are!" said the twin on the right._

" _In fact you're about the same size I hear most monsters like to eat for dinner," laughed the one on the left._

" _They just love the tiny ones," his brother added as he poked him in the ribs with his elbow._

" _Please," the first boy scoffed crossing his arms. "She's not even big enough to be a monster's snack, let alone dinner."_

 _The three of them had laughed long and hard at that until her patience finally snapped, unable to handle anymore of their incessant taunting and screamed at them._

" _What are you even talking about!"_

 _They stared at her for half a minutes before their surprised faces morphed into malicious grins, slowly coming towards her until they surrounded her._

" _Looks like we got a kid that doesn't know the story of the mountain…"_

~}{~

 _They'd each taken turns, going around in a circle, telling her how long ago evil beasts had roamed the land. Halfway through their monologue, when they'd mentioned how these demons were especially partial to misbehaving kids she'd gotten brave._

" _Guess that means unlike you, I'm safe."_

 _The satisfaction of seeing their frustration at being one-upped by a 'pipsqueak' only lasted a seconds before they grabbed her. That day she had gone home covered in dirt, little bruises peppering her arms and legs as well as a black eye. Suffice to say those waiting for her had not been pleased; her attempts to explain had fallen on deaf ears and resulted in a swift smack on the rump for making up excuses. She'd learned a valuable lesson that day: sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut._

 _She'd gone to bed that night apprehensive, fearful of whatever twisted visions her psyche had conjured within her subconscious as her head swam with the voices of her tormentors. Sleep came slowly, her eyes jumping from one corner of the room to the next as adrenaline heightened her senses. Paranoia making even the slightest of movements or the softest of sounds seem threatening as she wondered if there was a chance those jerks had been telling the truth. It felt like hours had passed before her body had finally had enough and forced her brain to settled down._

 _Unfortunately it was not a peaceful rest that greeted her, but dark towering figures creeping out of the shadows from which they had been spawned. Try as she might she couldn't get away; every turn, every step they knew which path she would take even before she did. All too soon she found herself cornered, no escape from the things that wished to harm her. Oh how they had pushed and pulled at her limbs, clawed at her skin and hair and laughed as she cried out in pain._

 _All of it horrible yet the part that was most vivid had been the end. The creatures had managed to beat her until she lay at their feet and as she stared up at them, saw their faces she realized something…_

 _The boys from before. It was their faces she was seeing._

 _She'd woken up after that, seating upright in her cramped bed covered in a cold sweat. Looking around the room she felt an once of relief, the others were still asleep and she thanked her lucky stars she hadn't been scared enough to scream._

 _The caretakers had strict rules about noise after curfew and she did not want to see how far they could be pushed until they gave her what they called, a_ _ **real**_ _punishment. Reluctantly she fell back onto the mattress, the sheets rumpled no doubt from her constant tossing and turning while her thin blanket lay forgotten on her lap._

 _Not willing to chance another run-in with her inner demons the girl stared at the ceiling above, imagining the off-white color it sported during the day as her eyes automatically sought the familiar cracks. As she did so, her mind wandered back to her dream._

 _How peculiar it was._

 _Expecting monsters to be the horrible beings to haunt her dreams… only instead to find it was a band of obnoxious brutes that truly frightened her._

~}{~

Though that time had long since passed, it was a thought that had never left her.

Was a monster really as bad as it seemed if she found more to be afraid of in one of her own?

Perhaps instead of humans being the heroes of the story, they were actually the villains.

But that didn't matter right now. Shaking her head to free her mind of distractions the young woman continued to climb. It didn't matter if they were real or fake, friend or foe. Anything was better than going back or being found. Both would be a blow to her pride and the final nail in her coffin.

Sooner than she anticipated she reached the mountain's peak, her pace at last slowing to an uncoordinated stumble as she moved toward the mouth of a nearby cave. Her limbs felt so heavy, so numb; goodness how she just wanted to sleep and never have to wake up. Maybe here she could finally find a place to rest, she thought desperately as she made her way inside, practically crawling on her hands and knees.

 _Just a few more steps._

 _Just a little bit more._

 _Just a little—_

And so she fell.

Never noticing that she had walked to very edge of a gaping abyss, until the ground gave out beneath her.


	2. No Turning Back

The power to turn back the clock …

To change the past …

To reset …

The named made it sound like what you'd do in a video game if you wanted to start over. Simply erase your progress and redo everything from the beginning.

Time travel.

A theory that fascinates the human mind with it sheer complexities and terrifies it with its consequences.

The young woman who had introduced herself as Frisk remained seated on her knees before the strange plant monster that called itself Flowey. Her brain trying to understand this new information as it rolled around in the confines of her skull. She stayed there, frozen, until a realization came to her.

 _I can go back._

 _I can find out what happened._

 _I can see it with my own eyes._

"Frisk? Are-are you okay?" came the worried voice of Flowey as he watched the human continue to stare into space.

But the girl had long since stopped listening, only focused on one thing.

 _I can go back._

 _I_ _ **have**_ _to go back._

 _ **I need to go back!**_

Her heart was racing, blood pumping; it was like every part of her screamed those thoughts in unison. Then pressure. So much pressure, it was almost hard to breathe. Something was building within her heart, no farther than that, right down to her very soul.

 _Is this … what determination feels like?_

Words began to fade into existence before her.

 **Continue.**

 **Reset**.

 _It really is like a video game._

Slowly she lifted her hand towards them.

"Frisk wait! That's-"

Then Frisk slammed her fist onto the reset button and everything went black …

~}{~

Her body awoke before her mind did.

It recognized the sensation of being on her back. As well as the ache in her limbs as her weight pressed against something flat and hard. Her eyes fluttering under heavy lids as she crossed the line between limbo and reality.

She could vaguely feel the sensation of something soft cradling her body.

Where was she? What had she been doing before …?

Her eyes shot open as she gasped for air. It took only a second to recall the memory.

She was back at the beginning. Lying on a bed of golden flowers, just like the first time.

 _It actually worked._

But it wasn't enough.

With clenched teeth Frisk dug her fingers into the soil, crushing the blooms beneath her hands as she forced herself to sit up. She felt the head rush come not a second later, her breathing heavy as black spots danced across her vision.

 _Nice try … but it's gunna take … more than this … to stop me._

Rather than slow down her heart beat faster, the adrenaline she'd felt before still coursing through her system. Heh, before? How was that even possible? Feeling things from a past that technically didn't exist anymore?

 _Does it even fuckin matter?_

 _I'm going_ _ **back**_ _._

Again the words appeared before her.

 **Continue.**

 **Reset.**

And once again she hit reset.

When she opened her eyes she was back in her lying down position over the ruined buttercups.

Her hazel eyes narrowed. _I said_ _ **go back.**_

 **Reset.**

This garnered the same results.

 **Reset.**

Again.

 **Reset.**

And again.

 **Reset.**

And again.

 **Reset.**

And yet again.

 **Reset.**

 _Go back._

 **Reset.**

 _Fucking do it already._

 **Reset.**

 _I'm not playing jackass._

 **Reset.**

 _Listen to me you piece of shit!_

 **Reset.**

 _Why._

 **Reset.**

 _Won't._

 **Reset.**

 _You._

 **Reset.**

 _Fucking._

 **Reset.**

 _Do._

 **Reset.**

 _It?_

 **Reset.**

 _TAKE._

 **Reset.**

 _ME._

 **Reset.**

 _BACK-_

"STOP IT!" Came a shrill voice that managed to halt the human's fist. "FOR THE LOVE OF THE ANGEL PLEASE STOP IT! I THINK MY BRAIN IS ABOUT TO LEAK OUT OF MY EARS!"

Cautiously she turned her head to face the intruder. Not surprised to find that it was Flowey who was staring her down with a furious glare. The poor creature had popped up at the edge of the flowerbed, his leaves cradling the white disk and petals that served as his head.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE? " he continued to screech. "LIKE WHAT THE HELL? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DID YOU THINK YOU'D ACCOMPLISH BY SPAMMING THE FUCKING RESET BUTTON LIKE THAT? HUH?"

His questions were answered with nothing but silence, the young woman no longer looking at him.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING IGNORE ME!" Flowey fumed. When he still received no response he dove into the earth, burrowing his way through the dirt until they were face to face. "HEY IDIOT I'M TALKING HERE! I MIGHT BE SMALL BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN …" Any further words died in his throat as he took in the sight before him.

The human had gone still. Too still.

She sat there on her knees, arms limp at her sides and fingers tangled in the battlefield of fallen posies. Face forward but her features had fallen, as if weighed down by grief. And where there had once been expressive hazel, he found only puddles of mud after a rainstorm. The surge pooled in each corner then without warning, burst like a floodgate down her cheeks.

The sight was … unnerving.

He was sure it couldn't get any worse, until her frame started shaking. The flower found himself rooted to the spot, forced to watch in alarm as the human's short ragged breaths racked her torso.

 _This isn't good. This isn't normal. For anyone._ Finding his nerve Flowey slowly inched closer to the catatonic girl, "Frisk? Hey … can you hear me?"

No reaction.

He might as well have said nothing as she continued to suck air through clenched teeth. It was likely _anything_ he said would get him nothing.

"Come on you dumb human, your kind are suppose to be stronger than this." He tried, face scrunching up as he gained momentum.

But that didn't mean he'd give up so easily.

"I know you're not deaf so pay attention when I'm talking to you!"

He knew what she'd been trying to do.

He knew it wouldn't have helped.

It never did.

Not really.

"Frisk, listen to me. I know you're upset, I've been there, I've done this." He felt the memories push against the back of his mind. _No, no._ Thought Flowey as he shook his head. _Do_ _ **not**_ _think about it. Not about any of it. You know where that road leads._ "I know better than anyone what it's like to wish they could rewrite the past. But if there's anything I've learned is that some things just can't be changed."

That last line seemed to strike some semblance of awareness. Wrenching a strange choking sound from the young woman's throat despite her efforts. Her whole body cringed, curling inwards as if to hide from his words.

"Frisk!" Flowey tried once more.

Unfortunately that seemed to be where the girls' period of lucidity ended.

The buttercup sighed in defeat. _Who am I kidding? No one can bounce back from something like this so easily. Not even the soulless._ His beady black eyes grew darker at that last thought.

"I can't really blame you for losing it like this," he told her as he slithered up her left arm. "All the same, it's best that I don't leave you by yourself. Last thing I need is another reset headache." The flower mumbled as he made himself comfortable on her shoulder.

~}{~

He'd only meant to rest for a moment. Regain his strength so he could watch for any potential threats. He hadn't counted on the young woman's presence making him feel safe enough to let his guard down. To imagine for even a moment, nestled in a stray lock of hair; that he was home again.

It felt like hours had passed.

Then the illusion was shattered.

"Haha, my my what an interesting sight to behold."

Flowey's eyes shot open at hearing that familiar chortle, though he dared not move an inch. He knew all too well how she reacted to sudden movements. Instead he watched the newcomer from the corner of his eye, her form half hidden by shadow. A quick glance toward the cave ceiling confirmed that daytime on the surface had long since passed.

"For once, I'm impressed with you flower." She said coming closer. "You've caught a human."

"Stay back!" he hissed as she came into view.

"Now why in the world would I do that?" her amused tone sending shivers up his stem.

"Because if you don't … I'll kill the human before you even have the chance to blink." The threat was bullshit. He knew it, she knew it and if the human was paying attention she'd know it too. That didn't matter though; he just needed to buy some time.

"Don't make me laugh flower," she scoffed incredulously.

"You don't think I will?" his voice shaky as he raised a vine.

She crossed her arms and smirked, "I know you won't." Then her gaze shifted to the side. "I surprised by your silence little human, do you not care that this whelp is attempting to use you as a bargaining chip?"

 _Not good. Not good. Not good!_ Flowey mentally screamed. _We are dead. We are so dead._ As he predicted the girl did not turn around, completely ignoring the other monster. Still as a statue, the only sign that she was even alive being the now steady rise and fall of her chest.

The mysterious woman narrowed her eyes. "Is your fear so great they you cannot respond? Or is this your poor attempt at bravery?"

…

"I grow tired of this. If you will not face me willingly then I will make you." She growled taking hold of girl's other arm and twisting her around.

The buttercup turned away, unable to watch what would happen next. _Sorry Frisk. Hopefully she makes it quick._

"Get the fuck off me!"

The sudden snarl gave them both pause.

"So you _can_ speak," the monster noted, one brow raised.

"You're damn right I can. Now fucking let go!" The human retorted, voice breaking as she tried to wrestle her arm free.

"And such vulgar language at that."

"Who the hell even are you?" Frisk demanded as she continued to struggle in her captor's iron grip. Paying no heed to Flowey's pleas to stop.

"Oh yes, how rude of me." Casually tossing the young woman to the side the monster stood to her full height. "I am Toriel caretaker of the Ruins."

Picking herself up Frisk blinked her dry eyes and looked up into the face of her assailant. Toriel was nothing like anything she had ever seen before. First of all she was incredibly tall, no doubt eight feet or so. As well as wide, her shoulder width easily twice her own. Second, she was a goat. An actual bipedal goat with bear like hands and feet dressed in black and white robes that were tattered at the edges.

 _It's official, I must be in Hell._ Her hands fumbled behind her, her body preparing to throw itself as far away from this would-be demon at a moments notice.

"Clamming up again so soon?" Toriel sneered with her hands on her hips. "I haven't goat your tongue have I?" The smug grin dropping from her muzzle at instant the words left her lips.

All three of them blinked. "Did you-Did you just tell a-"

"No," the goat stated firmly. "That was a slip of the tongue I assure you." Her paws clenched and her posture went rigid. "Nevertheless you have more important things to concern yourself with. Like what I'm going to do with both of you."

Swallowing thickly the young woman place her left hand protectively over the shaking flower on her shoulder. "And what _will_ you do?"

"I have yet to decide," the caretaker smiled showing off her razor sharp teeth. "It's been quite some time since I last had a human in my midst."

She took a step forward, her movements slow and calculated. Completely calm as she pinned them down with a blood colored stare.

"Such a special occasion indeed," she said completing her first lap around them. "What to do, what to do?"

The pair did nothing as Toriel circled them.

"I could simply kill you, hmm but where's the fun in that?" She paused tapping her chin with a furry digit.

The girl shifted her weight ever so slightly, fighting her impulse to cower. "Whatever sick game you have planned I won't let you touch Flowey."

 _My this child is so peculiar, protecting a pitiful creature like this one._

"How idiotically noble, especially since I could easily end you both right now," she laughed. "But … now that I think about it, since this is such a rare occasion and I'm in a fairly pleasant mood I'll give you a chance. A challenge if you will, to see if you deserve to keep your life."

Licking her dry lips Frisk looked to Flowey then Toriel. "What kind of challenge?" She kept her eyes trained on the goat creature, searching for any tick or tells that could be used for later.

The caretaker's smirk from earlier was back at full force, equally as menacing yet also strangely playful. "If you can make it through these catacombs all the way to my home at the very end of the Ruins, then I along with all of the other denizens, shall leave you be. Should you fail, well you can guess what that entails."

The pair shuddered at the implications.

"So my child, do we have a deal?" one large furry paw extended for her to shake.

But did they really have a choice?

"Deal," said Frisk as she accepted Toriel's hand.


	3. Mission: Survive

**I'm deeply sorry for this guys, I've pretty much moved to Ao3 and forgot to upload the new chapters here to ff until now. So I guess here's a mass upload for chapters 3 through 6. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"HAVE YOU _COMPLETELY_ LOST YOUR MIND?!" Flowey screamed in Frisk's ear. He didn't hold back, taking his chance the instant he was sure the caretaker was out of earshot.

"Putain d'enfer!" she yelled leaning as far away from him as possible. Well as far as she could get with the plant coiled around her arm. "I'm right here you don't hafta shout!"

"Oh ya sure? CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY WAY TO GET YOU TO LISTEN!"

"Fuck!" she winced, both from the volume and the tightness in her cheeks. With the immediate danger now passed and the adrenaline slipping away all of her aches and pain were coming back with a vengeance.

"This is great. It's just freaking dandy. I knew you humans were reckless but not this suicidal!"

"Excuse you?" both hands clenched of their own accord. His tone of voice sparking something familiar and unpleasant inside her.

Jaw set the buttercup leaned in, extending his stem until they were nose to nose. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"No, enlighten me." The words were coated in defiance, leaving half of her surprised at how easily the challenge came.

The vines around her bicep tightened.

"You made a deal with TORIEL," he hissed. As if that should have explained everything.

"So we've established," she said. Never breaking eye contact as she wiped her face with the heel of her right hand. "Anything else?"

Flowey not knowing what else to do roared in frustration, yanking on his petals so hard it was a wonder he hadn't torn them off.

The human however didn't bother to pay him any mind. Choosing instead to pick herself up from the hard ground, releasing a few pain filled grunts as she did so.

"Don't you get it?" he asked flailing the leaves he used as hands.

Again Frisk ignored the question in favor of rolling her shoulders. Still feeling the tension and pain in her muscles from both her fall and her earlier catatonia.

"She's going to KILL US!" His frame shaking, from anger or fear he wasn't sure, but he couldn't stop. She didn't get it. And she _NEEDED_ to get it or they won't make it very far. "Can you _please_ act like you give a shit for two minutes."

Frisk stilled, her hair bristling. "I DO CARE!" Anger blazing from the depths of hazel irises. "Believe it or not I don't wanna get axed off again just as much as you do."

"Then why the HELL would you agree to play games with someone like her?!"

"And what, pray tell, would you have done instead?" her tone incredulous.

The flower pulled back and grimaced. He didn't have an answer to that. "I don't _know_. Just, _something_ … anything but that!"

"Would you rather I reset _again_?"

He visibly winced, "No, but… "

"But nothing. We were fucked either way," she said firmly.

He made no further effort to dispute her.

For a while Frisk just stood there, hands balled into fists and chest tight as her heart hammered against her ribs. She didn't like this situation anymore than he did; that woman, that "monster" was not to be underestimated. She understood his concern and she'd be lying if she said Toriel's introduction hadn't left her a bit rattled. The way she had stalked them with the cold detachment of predator, the glee in her voice at the prospect of toying with them like playthings…

With a deep breath the young woman began to hobble her way to the next room. She reached the threshold and paused, noting that it was exactly the same as when she'd first stumbled through, minus the froggit.

She resisted the urge to lift a hand to her sternum.

The entire cavern seemed to be made of a deep purple stone, the walls lined in clean-cut bricks of the same material. Across from them stood a double staircase with a large pile of red leaves between them and at the center of the room a trail of those same leaves made into a large square.

 _Is this supposed to be the monster version of a pentagram?_ She allowed the corner of her mouth to perk up. _All things considered that'd be the least bizarre thing I've seen so far._

"So is Toriel into the occult shit or..." she let the statement hang as she took in the state of her companion. Flowey had gone rigid, his head bent forward as he stared at something in the distance.

Curious Frisk followed his gaze, wondering what it was about the leaves that captured his complete attention. That's when she noticed it, a strange golden light right at the edge of the pile.

With a furrowed brow she looked again to the buttercup for some kind of explanation, but he only nodded in the light's direction. Taking that as a sign that it was both safe and probably important she made her way over to it. On shaky knees the young woman lowered herself to the ground, mesmerized by what appeared to be an actual star.

"Beautiful," she whispered, her left hand already reaching out to touch it.

The moment she did she felt the pressure. The same pressure she'd experienced when she'd forced the world to reset. Except this time she also felt heat, an intense numbing sensation that was akin to grasping an open flame. Yet there was no pain. Instead she felt the fire crawl up her fingers, passed her arm until it engulfed her completely.

 _ ***The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with determination.**_

Then it was over.

Frisk gasped as she pulled her arm back. Air rushing back into her empty lungs, when had she stopped breathing?

"Congratulations, you've made your first save."

She blinked. "...You're kidding?"

"Nope," he responded in a bland tone.

She tapped the ground with her fingers. "More video game logic then?"

"Basically," Flowey hummed. "On the chase that you die again we'll end up back here instead of the flowerbed."

"Lovely," Frisk sighed as she got to her feet, surprised when she didn't feel the weight of her earlier fatigue. In fact her whole body felt lighter, even the aches in her shoulders had faded.

"Any recent wounds will also heal up, even replenish your energy if you're lucky."

"Nice. Very nice." The human grinned as she flexed her fingers, "We may make it out of here yet."

"You're awfully optimistic for someone that's already died once," said the flower, his head tilted to the right as he regarded her.

Her body locked and her shoulders tensed at the reminder of her untimely demise. Any trace of a smile wiped from her face as she licked her lips in thought. "I'm trying not to think about it. Come on, we better not dawdle or Toriel'll have our heads," she sighed patting the side of his head with her left hand. Neither of them felt it necessary to add 'literally' to the statement.

Dry earth crunched under each step of the human's boots as the pair continued on their way to the next room. This one contained only a series of floor switches and a lever mounted right beside a sealed door. Like before Flowey said nothing, choosing instead to point his leafy hand at a faded plaque on the far wall and like before Frisk obeyed.

*Only the fearless may proceed.

*Brave ones, foolish ones.

*Both not walk the middle road.

 _A riddle?_

" _Then let the game begin." Toriel smiled as she gave the human a small shove, chuckling as the younger woman fell back on her rear._ Oh you poor trusting little sparrow, how long will you last?

" _A piece of advice, do be sure to watch your step and keep your eyes open. You never know when you'll come across something… puzzling." Her tone quiet and thoughtful as she turned away and disappeared into the darkness. The huff she made under her breath not sounding quite as irritated as it should have._

 _Puzzles. Okay I can deal with puzzles._

"Seems simple enough," said Frisk as she stepped on the four outer switches.

"The only thing in here's a door," her hand grasped the lever. "I mean what's the worst that could happen if you get it wrong—"

In the span of a few seconds she was on the ground.

Her right shoulder and hip hissed in pain under her weight as she tried to get up. But her legs refused to cooperate, bond together by something increasingly familiar. "Putain de fleur folle!"

She rolled onto her back, about to wring his stem when she caught sight of the swinging blade whooshing over their heads. And right through the spot where she had been standing.

"That."

"What?"

"That is what happens when you fuck up," said Flowey. His face grim as he motioned with his eyes to another of his vines pressing one the middle switches. They watched the blade swing once, twice then back into its hidden sheath in the wall.

"...Duly noted."

 _I'm in a cartoon._ The human fell back and groaned as she threw her free arm over her eyes. _I'm in a fucking cartoon. I even said 'what's the worst that could happen?' What am I a fucking idiot?!_

It honestly couldn't get anymore surreal than this. The fact that there were even creatures that lived down here, monsters of all things, would have left anyone reeling. And boy oh boy Frisk was reeling. God this was a nightmare.

"What, giving up already?" he asked, staring down at her.

"Fuck no," Frisk answered as she lifted her arm to peek at him. "I'm just, getting my bearings. The old goat wasn't kidding when she said we had to watch our step." She let the arm fall back as she sat up and frowned. "Thanks for the near death experience by the way."

Flowey shrugged, "You asked, I answered."

At that she responded in the most appropriate way possible: a facepalm. "This is gunna be a long day."

~}{~

It turned out their little run-in with the pendulum trap was just a taste of what else this twisted labyrinth had to offer. From here the Ruins seemed to stretch out into proper corridors instead of rooms, and it made the human antsy. Long halls meant you were cornered on two sides, with few places to run and even fewer to hide.

 _It'd be so easy for something to pop out and…_

 _No. Focus and look for a clue._

The second Frisk saw it she went straight for the plaque.

*Stay on the path.

 _Wow, so helpful._

This obstacle came in the form of another lever puzzle, this time controlling a set of spikes jutting from the floor and blocking their path. Not too difficult or dangerous. Unless you took into account that the second lever was rigged to electrocute anyone who didn't pulled it seconds after the first. A penalty made twice as harmful thanks to water that had spilled over from the indoor aqueducts. Quick reflexes had spared her the brunt of the damage, though it still left her with a nasty two-degree burn across her right palm.

 _Conniving motherfuckers._

~}{~

The training area beyond that proved to be quite useful; it was here that Flowey had her practice what the monsters called 'FIGHTING.' According to him, this form of combat had been developed by his kind near the very beginning. An honor system for settling disputes that gave each side a 'fighting' chance. One of the few that was still in practice, or so he said.

…

 ***You encounter the Dummy.**

 ***FIGHT *ACT *ITEM *MERCY**

 **FRISK** **LV1** **HP 30/30**

"Reseting, saving and now this?" she marveled at the four buttons floating before her. "Forget cartoons, I'm in a dungeon crawler!"

"I guess you'd see it that way," Flowey mused from his place by the doorway. "For us it's just how we do things."

"Oh, you mean like home security is a series of death traps?" Frisk said crossing her arms.

"Puzzles," he corrected. His little black eyes falling shut as he spoke, "Ancient fusions of diversions and door keys. I can't explain why, but we've always been fascinated by them."

She didn't know what to say to that. Regardless she filed the information away for later, the more you know and all that.

For now she would focus on the task at hand. It was obvious the training dummy had seen better days. An oddly shaped lump of a thing she was sure had been on the receiving end of many a fierce punch. Ripped in several places with strands of stuffing spilling out of the holes like loose intestines. The last user had _not_ been gentle.

"So I just… talk to it?"

"You could," he shrugged, "but I doubt it'd be a tactic that'd do you much good in a real fight."

She didn't disagree; hell it'd be quite hypocritical if she did. Though it left her curious, if FIGHT was all you needed why was ACT also an option?

 _Well, only one way to find out._ New text appearing as she laid her palm on the ACT button.

 ***Dummy**

 ***Check** ***Talk**

"Let's see what this does." **[*Check]**

 ***DUMMY** **ATK - 0** **DEF - 0**

 *** Thread and cotton sewn together. It only wishes that life was better.**

"Quoi dans le monde?" the human mumbled, brow furrowed as she reread the last sentence. "Flowey why am I reading depressing poetry?"

"That's what's called performing a 'check,'" he responded with the practiced ease of a teacher. "Monsters use their souls for just about everything and during fights our souls are brought closer to the surface. 'Checking' a monster is basically you reading whatever their soul is projecting. You can actually learn a lot about an enemy this way so that's a good habit to get into."

"Wow you get tips?" The young woman brightened, placing her hands on her hips as a smile crept over her features. "Well if that's the case fighting an actual monster shouldn't be—wait a minute." She paused. "Flowey?"

"Yeah?"

"Are monsters the only ones that you can perform a check on?"

"Monsters, humans, anything that has the aptitude for thought really," he said casually crossing one leaf over his stem as he leaned his cheek against the other. _Myself included since I don't have a soul._

"The fu—are you saying that dummy's alive?!" her mouth agape as she jabbed a finger in its direction.

"Well _technically_ it's not the _dummy_ that's alive."

" _Dude_."

"It's more the ghost that's possessing it."

" _ **Dude**_ _!"_

"What? What's the problem now?" he yelled throwing both leaves in the air.

"First it was monsters now it's some paranormal shit?!" her hair once again beginning to stand on end.

Flowey frowned, not at all fazed by the human's wild hand waving. "Hey ghosts _are_ monsters, they're just a subspecies."

Frisk growled as she ran both hands through her brown locks. "You know what, it's fine. It doesn't matter. Let's just get back to business."

With a deep breath she looked through her options, the hairs on the back of her neck tingling under the dummy's scrutiny.

 **[*Talk]**

"Hey, I'm sorry about uh… that. I didn't mean to be rude."

 ***It doesn't seem much for conversation.**

 _I honestly don't know what I was expecting. It hasn't attacked or done anything… Can it even move?_

 **[*Talk]**

"So I've never met a ghost before, that's pretty cool. You… ever met a human?"

 ***DUMMY looks like it's about to fall over. FLOWEY is judging you.**

"You got something to say dill weed?" shooting him a glare.

" _No_ , but I _am_ wondering why you're trying to shoot the breeze instead of learning how to fight."

"Thanks for the concern coach but I've already done basic and how is beating the crap out of someone that obviously can't move gunna help me?"

The little plant monster leaned forward, stretching his stem until he was in her face for the second time. " **You say that as if your soul hasn't already shattered once before.** "

Any retort she might have had was crushed under the vice like grip of fear around her heart. _Again with the reminder._

The unnatural way his mouth and face seemed to twist and change at his leisure only added to her unease.

He knew what she was seeing, what he was doing without even realizing. An instability. A side effect of the experiment that made him what he was. He'd never be very strong, but it served as a decent defense mechanism.

Sensing he now had her attention he pulled back. "Believe me, real fights only get worse. At least here you have the chance to figure out what's what without risking HP."

He had a point. Her heart ached as she realized, it was the lesson of the bed. Had it really been long enough to forget? Dad would have been ashamed.

Embarrassment and sadness then gave way to guilt. She'd do well to remember that he didn't need to be doing this. True Toriel had threatened them both, but it was Frisk that had made the deal with her. Fuck, the little guy could have bolted the instant she started freaking the fuck out and bypassed the beldam altogether. For whatever reason he'd decided to stick around and for that she owned him this much.

"Understood Mister Flowey, sir. I need to learn," straightening her stance and shooting him a mock salute. "But I'm not gunna be needlessly cruel if I don't have to.

"We can work with that," he nodded before drawing back. "Now finish this."

"Tell me what to do chief," she said hazel orbs locking with the dummy's one black button.

"If you want to end a fight peacefully you choose the mercy option. From there you can either spare your opponent or flee the battle altogether."

She nodded.

 **[*Spare]**

 ***YOU WON!**

 ***You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

The dummy remained unchanged, though given its previous behavior that wasn't much of a shock. If not a bit of a let down for the human's first experience with a real ghost.

"That it?"

"Depends," he said as she walked over to him and offered her arm. "Anything else you wanna know before we move on?"

"You mention something about HP, that what I think is that?"

"Not quite. It's an acronym for hit points. Hit points are how much damage your soul can take before it shatters."

"So when the froggit killed me…"

"It was because it managed a direct hit on your soul. Yes," he said readjusting himself on his new perch. "Although, if you'd been prepared for it you would have come out with more minimal damage."

"How so?"

"As I've said, for monsters the soul is everything. And thus so is your intention."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, thanks for the practice… Dummy." Part of her felt stupid for waving goodbye; its whole lack of participation making her think Flowey had been pulling a prank. And yet she couldn't deny feeling a third presence in the room with them, or the aura of melancholy that seemed to permeate from it. Nevertheless they had done what they needed, it was time to move on.


	4. Apply Your Skills

"Alright Frisk so far you've been doing alright on your own, but for this room you might want a heads up," said Flowey as they crossed the threshold of the next room.

"Don't tell me. We've moved on from spikes and blades and we're headed into flamethrower country." Frisk slowed her pace, side-eyeing every nook and cranny for potential traps.

Flowey snorted, "Good guess but thankfully no. This puzzle is a bit more subtle, pay attention to the floor and you'll see what I mean."

 _Huh, probably wouldn't have noticed that the first time_.

Eyes solely on her feet as she followed along the marked path.

"All the bends look intentional, does that mean I have to walk this same pattern in order to—"

 _Oh fuck_ , Frisk thought as she found herself face to face with a froggit.

 _Ba-bum!_

 _Ba-bum ba-bum!_

Her chest constricted, she couldn't breath. Then with a single swift tug in a manner similar to yanking a cork from a wine bottle, the pressure was gone and in its place a bright red heart-shaped soul.

And like that the battle had begun.

Froggit attacked first, letting loose half a dozen fly shaped bullets their way.

"Dodge!" Flowey ordered.

He didn't have to tell her twice.

 _Left._

 _Right._

 _Left._

 _Watch your side._

 _Duck and roll._

The little heart moved with her, always hovering an inch above her chest.

She paused, crouched down with one hand outstretched and eyes forward. _Just like riding a bike._

"Now counter!"

With her free hand Frisk slapped the ***FIGHT** button. A surge of energy shot through her body from the point of contact, filling her muscles and propelling her forward.

Using the additional force Frisk pulled her arm back and threw a right jab. Only for her fist to brush solid ground as the dog-sized frog managed to evade at the last second.

An angry croak from the left alerted her to another attack, this time a full on charge.

"Quick we gotta move!"

But the froggit was too close.

"No time!" Frisk yelled. Then twisted her body around, blocking the hit with her forearms. Chancing a peak at the bar above her she saw the hit had taken off 3hp.

And the froggit still hadn't backed off, pushing against her defense with its full weight.

Flowey seemed to be holding on for dear life. "Frisk get up!"

"Can't. I'm pinned," she hissed. Not expecting the thing to be as strong or as densely packed as it was for its size.

They were in a deadlock, neither willing to back down.

But it was only a matter of time before one of them faltered.

 _Fuck. Can't hold forever… one shot._

Taking a chance the young woman dove backwards—"What are you doing?!"—using her arms as a springboard she propelled her opponent upwards and over.

Crying out in glee as she sent them sailing to the other side of the room. Wasting no time she rolled onto her feet and advanced.

Seeing the oncoming threat the froggit, though injured from the landing, retaliated. Striking at the human with its long sticky tongue.

The young woman dove to the side, the strike just missing her.

 _Left._

 _Jump._

 _Right._

 _Duck._

 _If you think using the same trick twice will work you've got another—_ "Aaagghhaa!"

Tongue extended it followed up with a widespread sweep. A clean hit to the bicep that sent the human back, but not to the ground.

Another 5hp gone.

Frisk grit her teeth, adjusting her stance as Flowey examined the hit. "You good, anything broken?"

She shook her head. "Had worse."

And in truth she had, the memory of similar blows with worse damage tickled the back of her mind. This was more or less a sting that managed to catch her off guard.

Strained croaking brought her attention forward; the little creature was growing weary. Though the upturned quirk of its mouth gave the distinct impression of a smirk.

 _Cocky little shit._

"It's not attacking."

"It's not its turn."

 _Right, the honor code and all that._

Shoulders back she searched through her options.

 ***ACT**

 ***Froggit**

 ***Check** ***Compliment**

 **[*Threaten]**

"I'm gettin' tired of this shit froggit, skip home now and I promise you can keep your legs."

 ***Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was disturbed anyway.**

It took a half step back, perhaps the prospect of pain would be enough to end the battle the buttercup thought.

Until a shot of pink burst from its mouth towards them.

Apparently not.

Frisk made to dodge but the froggit was too fast, managing to clip her right cheek.

Chipping off another 2hp.

Seeing it's chance it continued the assault.

A hit to the left temple.

She staggered; again 2hp were cut from her health bar.

Then a strike to the stomach.

She was down on her knees and 3 more hp.

"Shit! Shitshitshit…" Flowey chanted as he watched her struggled to regain her breath. "Frisk are you okay?"

"Huff… huff… I'm—"

She didn't get to finish as the froggit's tongue once again shot towards her.

 _FUCK!_ Without thinking Flowey dove into the line of fire. Eyes screwed shut and body thrown over the human's soul he was prepared to take the hit.

What he didn't expect was to hear the distinct smack of flesh against flesh.

Or the near feral growl that resonated from deep within the girl's chest.

Cracking one eye open he was met with a sight he couldn't believe. Cupped in her right hand and held in a tight grip was the tip of the monster's tongue.

She'd caught the attack.

"That's _ENOUGH_."

Shaken to its core and now fearing for its life the froggit attempted to pull back. But Frisk wouldn't have it as she slammed her occupied fist into the ***FIGHT** button.

"MY TURN BITCH!"

With strength fueled by rage the creature was yanked forward, sailing across the room by the force of momentum and straight into the girl's waiting fist.

Spit flew from the monster's lips hitting the pair in the face as it choked on its stolen breath. Its body curling around the hand still firmly planted in its soft underbelly. It fell to the ground a few seconds later in an unceremonious heap at the young woman's feet.

It struggled to stand, it's little webbed-feet clawing at the dirt as it prepared another round of bullets. A boot-clad foot to the snout soon put an end to that. Clamping the poor froggit's jaw shut on its own tongue and forcing it to swallow the half-formed attack.

"Don't even think about it." Her heel dug deeper into the spot between its eyes. Anymore escape attempts were immediately abandoned if its whimpering was anything to go by.

Flowey furled and unfurled his vines in clear agitation; that had been far _far_ too close for comfort. "More will come, better finish it off now."

Frisk schooled her features. "You're probably ri—"

Wet sobs filled the air taking them both aback.

"What the fuck?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The flower bared his fangs in disgust. " _You_ attack _us_ and then have the fucking gall to cry?!"

Froggit shrunk back in response as big fat tears fell from its bulbous eyes.

Frisk turned to the menu, finger poised over the ***FIGHT** button. She was ready to be done with this fight.

The little monster continued to cry, its previous blubbering reduced to soft weeping at the insistence of Flowey's berating.

What a pitiful sight.

From the corner of her eye she could see mucus had begun to leak from its nose, dripping down onto its limp tongue and mixing with the dirt.

Pitiful enough that it gave the woman pause.

"Frisk come on, what are you waiting for?" asked Flowey.

She met her companion's questioning eye. "Just... give me a second?"

The flower frowned in response not sure where she was going with this, but the sooner she finished whatever this was the sooner they could move on. "Fine, just make it quick." To which she sent him a grateful half smile.

Trusting her instincts the human instead chose to ***ACT**.

 ***Froggit**

 **[*Check]**

 ***FROGGIT** **ATK - 4** **DEF - 5** **HP 4/30**

 *** Life is very hard for this enemy. It is terrified of death.**

That wasn't very convincing if she was being honest. Life had a habit of throwing shit storm after shit storm at people regardless of whether it was deserved or not. And what sane person didn't fear death?

Her thoughts went back to when she'd woken up on that patch of buttercups the first time. She remembered falling. The pitch-blackness of the cave made it hard to tell if she'd conked out before or after hitting the ground. She remembered waking up to the sound of an anxious voice and stumbling after them despite how much her whole body ached. She remembered encountering the strangest frog she had ever seen and that searing pain in her chest when it shot those glowing flies at the weird red heart that popped out of her chest. Even now her fingers twitched with the impulse to hide it from view.

Yes by all account Frisk had good reason to end the little pest.

But looking at it now, tears streaming from giant eyes as she pressed its face into the dirt… the idea just felt gross.

 _I don't know what's more pathetic, this display or the fact I've died to one of these things._

The brunt of her anger had been spent in that one punch and any remaining sparks were snuffed out by the creature's pleading face. That look of pain and helplessness; how many times had she seen it reflected in a pair of baby blues? And how many times had she crossed the line in the pursuit of payback?

 _God I must be out of my mind._

Gingerly the young woman removed her foot from the froggit's head, never breaking eye contact as she took a knee and reached out with her hand.

"Careful." Flowey readied a vine. "This is when they lash out the hardest."

Lucky for them the monster remained frozen, too frightened by what it saw as the finishing blow. As the human's fingers closed in its eyes shut tight, unable to watch itself meet its end. Instead it felt something soft and warm rest against the forming bruise.

"Easy, easy I'm not gunna hurt ya… anymore." Despite the froggit not being able to understand her Frisk spoke to it in a soothing voice. Calming it little by little until it relaxed enough to finally retract its tongue.

 **[*Spare]**

 ***YOU WON!**

 ***You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

 _Finally._

"You'll regret doing that."

"Huh, what are you already predicting the upcoming ambush?"

"No but thank you for reminding me of that possibility." Flowey crossed his leaves like a disapproving parent. "You realize what will happen don't you? The monsters of this world aren't like you Frisk. They see an opportunity like this," he nodded to the froggit, "and they'll pounce on the free XP without a second thought."

"Then he's coming with us." Her tone left no room for argument.

"WHAT?! You can't be serious!"

"You said so yourself," gathering the froggit in her arms, "he's a goner if we leave him."

"That doesn't mean we should pick up a hitchhiker!" This was ludicrous, they might as well paint targets on their backs while they were at it.

"Look I know you think this is stupid and hell I'm sure it is but I can't just leave someone that's hurt… Especially if I was the one that hurt them."

"That's how it is in the Underground. **Here it's kill or be killed.** " This time when his face morphed he did it on purpose.

Though this time Frisk didn't shy away, she tightened her hold on the monster in her arms. "I won't leave someone for dead."

"Ugh you're gunna be the death of me." Flowey groaned while burying his face in his leaves. "I swear I just know it. Fine if it's so important to you, I know where we can take him."

Her face broke out into a warm smile. "Thank you."

"Just get back to doing the goddamn puzzle."

"Ugh… you're a big boy, aren't you?" said Frisk as she lugged the froggit across the bridge. "Putain, qu'est-ce que tu manges?"

The clue for this puzzle was fairly straightforward.

*The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.

Sounds easy.

In theory.

Walking that same pattern over a bridge of spikes while carrying a 20-pound frog definitely raised the difficulty a bit. On the upside there wasn't a time limit. No it would seem the designer of this trap thought a repeat of the earlier mechanic would be too obvious. Instead Flowey informed her of the delightful fact that the spikes on the outside of the safe zone were coated in a lethal poison. Oh joy.

"Would you please get a grip on that thing we're almost on the other side." Flowey was all but bouncing on her shoulder as they neared the end.

"Easier said than done." She quickly slid her arm under the slipping froggits hind-legs. "You try holding onto a living mucus factory!" Had she been playing closer attention she would have seen the little dusting of red across said mucus factory's snout.

"Easy, easy… keep going straight… now right and—"

"Made it!" Frisk cheered as she stepped off the last spiked tile.

Flowey sighed in relief. "From here it's a straight shot to the next room. There's a door on the left that'll have something to patch you up."

The human squinted at the barren hallway ahead of them, eyes peeled for any signs of danger. Yet saw nothing but a few dozen larger than average snails scattered about.

"Are you sure there's no tra-AAAAAAhhh!"

One scream became three as that step sent them all barreling forward. Flying across the room with all the grace of an elephant trying to tap dance. Flailing like mad Frisk tried to keep her balance, but in the end her feet were too fast for the rest of her body. And with a mighty thud the human found herself flat on her back in a puddle of slime.

"FUCK! I think I broke my ass!"

Riiiibb… iitt…

Flowey being the smallest and lightest of the bunch was the first to recover or at the very least shake off the shock. "This wasn't here before."

"You don't say?" Frisk laid there, staring up at the ceiling as she felt a snail slither up the side of her face. "Whoever designed this place if you're listening... I hate you."

~}{~

"Hehe hehe."

A short distance away a fuzzy paw rose to cover a sharp-toothed grin. The owner trying and somewhat failing to muffle their mirth. After all it wasn't everyday they were treated to such a delightful show.

"72 Uses for Snails indeed," she giggled.

Oh it was so tempting to poke her head out for a better look. She resisted the urge however, keeping to the shadows from her place behind a pillar. Oh no, getting caught wouldn't do at all. Not when there was still so much fun to be had.

"And it's only the beginning."

Her giggles fading to nothing as the wall spun back into place.

~}{~

After much careful maneuvering and the added balance granted by a Flowey's vines, they were able to clear the room. Or as Frisk so dubbed it 'the Blob's piss trail.'

"Wherever you're taking us better we worth it."

Back still smarting she waddled her way across the floor. God it felt like she'd woken up on the flower patch all over again.

"Trust me this'll do the trick."

Passing through the doorway they were met with the smallest room in the Ruins, rectangular in shape and perhaps no wider than 20 feet. Half the walking space taken up by two indoor ponds on either side and at the center a pedestal once again surrounded by a square made of red leaves.

 _Okay seriously, what is up with these fucking squares?_

Upon closer inspection she noticed a single object on display, a bowl filled to the brim with…

"Candy?" Frisk asked in bewilderment.

"Not just any candy. Specially-made monster candy." He leaned in as if telling her a secret. "Infused with magic, they'll raise your hp if you're ever in a pinch."

"Then what's an entire bowl of it doing out in the open?"

It seemed a little too good to be true. Call her paranoid but after walking through the first section of sadist wonderland you can never be too careful. For all she knew those colorful confections could be laced with poison! It seemed her flower friend found her concern rather amusing as he offered a half smirk.

"It's good to see you're catching on. Toriel use to leave these out as treats for any monsters that might need a boost or in case a human fell."

An image of the towering red-eyed she-goat came to mind. Teeth bared and cackling in a rather cartoonish fashion as she cornered her victim. Watching them beg her on their knees to spare them before pulling out a tray of cookies fresh from the oven.

"Forgive me if I have a hard time imagining that," she said in a deadpan tone.

"She… wasn't always like this." The buttercup grimaced, as if even mentioning the past caused him physical pain. "But yeah nowadays she's turned it into a game, a few are actual pieces of monster candy while everything else is... unpleasant."

The human sneered in disgust. "Only a truly sick fuck would desecrate the sanctity of candy."

Eyes hard and face stern the flower nodded in agreement.

It was good to know he agreed.

Leaning forward Frisk peered into the bowl. "So which do I take?"

"Hard to say. She changes the wrappers every so often."

Ribbit, riiibbit the froggit croaked, sounding more weak than before.

Seeing that the creature was fading fast she withdrew an arm from her hold, plunging her hand into the bowl and pulled back a fist full of sweets. Then plopped down where she stood, froggit nestled in her lap as she spread the candy out in front of her.

"We'll have to look through them all." She picked up the nearest piece. "Um, none of these will hurt me right?"

Flowey wiggled one of his leaves in a mock so-so gesture.

"Good enough."

 _Here goes nothing_ , she thought undoing the shiny blue wrapper.

The next few minutes were… well there were worse ways to spend one's time.

The first piece had seemed like a dud, not healing but not hurting either. That is until the sugar layer melted and the real flavor underneath kicked in. She couldn't hawk it fast enough. Anchovies. How evil was this woman?

The purple was next and Frisk eyed it with mistrust, giving it a few experimental licks to be safe. And thank goodness for that as it soon started crackling. She wasted no time flinging it across the room where it exploded, leaving a visible dent in the ground.

What the actual fuck?!

The red was coated in enough capsaicin to set fire to anyone's mouth. It was stronger than your average atomic fireball for sure. It didn't heal but she loved it.

The orange was more annoying than anything, sticky as tar and near impossible to remove. Guess all this water was good for something.

"Last one." She popped the green piece of taffy into her mouth with little enthusiasm. At last she felt the tingle of magic, clear and cold like winter air. It washed over her, dulling but not removing the aches.

A quick **[*Check]**

 **FRISK** **LV1** **HP 21/30**

Flowey crossed his leaves in annoyance. "Figures she made it the same color as healing magic."

Scooping up the other green pieces she held one to the froggit's mouth. "Alright buddy open up."

The little monster obeyed without complaint. And Frisk watched in awe as the wounds faded before her eyes.

 **[*Check]**

 ***FROGGIT** **HP 14/30**

She offered it a second, then a third.

 **[*Check]**

 ***FROGGIT** **HP 34/30**

"I think that should hold you over for a while." The young woman smiled, petting it between the eyes. Not expecting the blush on its face or its show of thanks in a big wet lick to the face.

It was so absurd she could help but laugh. "Okay, okay you're welcome."

Flowey rolled his eyes at the display. "Yeah yeah we get it. You're grateful for the help, now get going."

"He's right, you head on home now." It gave her one last lick then hopped towards the exit. "And quit picking fights, it's not nice!"

"You know you're insane right?" asked Flowey once the froggit was gone.

Frisk raised a brow. "Well yes, why do you ask?"

"That won't solve every problem."

"Maybe." Her gaze shifted to the doorway then back. "But a little kindness can go a long way."

"Don't make this a habit Frisk."

She collected the rest of the candy from the floor, ready to toss them back into the bowl but paused.

 _Just in case,_ she thought closing her fist around the decoys and tucking them away in her back pocket. As well as a few more healing ones just to be safe.

Two steps beyond the doorway she noticed another froggit sitting across from her. At first she assumed it was the same one from earlier, until it opened its mouth and a croaking voice tumbled out.

Ribbit, ribbit.

Ribbit, ribbit. (Human, you spared them...) (And healed them as well?) (This is an ACT we have not seen in quite some time.) (We thank you for your mercy) Ribbit.

Their froggit then popped up from behind its friend, hopped over and dropped two small coins at her feet.

 ***You earned 2 gold.**


	5. Choose Your Path

Jingle jangle.

Clink thump.

The froggy pair scuttered away not long after Frisk accepted their gift. And after a quick save at the star hidden in a nearby leaf pile the duo wasted no time pressing onward.

Jingle jangle.

Clink thump.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, will ya?"

"Ah come on, admit it," she grinned catching the coins mid fall. "I did good."

Flowey crossed his leaves. "You got lucky is what you did."

"And I can't be happy about that?" Without meaning to Frisk slowed her jaunty pace.

"You know what I mean."

The human held back a sigh; she did know. Flowey was worried and he had every right to be. In the little time spent in this place she had died, come back, rewound time, been threatened, almost decapitated, electrocuted and attacked. All in that order. They weren't safe, at least not until they won this bet. Hell even then it was doubtful whether Toriel would keep her word. Those thoughts should have been at the forefront of her mind…

And yet she kept picturing the froggit's happiness at being healed or its shy uncertainty when it offered her the gold. Genuine positive emotions that her actions had evoked and compelled another to return. That knowledge warmed her heart and, dare she even say it, made her soul feel lighter. Morale was important for a reason; it didn't insure a win but it did give a soldier a reason to keep fighting.

"Come on petals, lucky or not let's enjoy the small things." She lifted a hand to cradle the side of his head, the other slipping the gold into her pocket. "Like you said it's only gunna get harder from here on out.

"If you say so." He slumped into her shoulder. "Mind the pit trap."

"Excuse me, mind the what?" She paused one foot in the air mid step. Gaze trailing to the floor where she noticed the two rows of cracks that blocked their path.

 _But I didn't see—_

"You didn't think every obstacle came with a plaque did you?"

 _Son of a bitch._

If Flowey took her incriminating silence as confirmation he didn't say.

"It doesn't look too far, I could probably jump that."

"I wouldn't if I were you. This whole section is above another room and the floor's thin enough that even someone your size would fall through."

"Okay then, whatcha recommend?"

…

"1…" Frisk took a step back, both hands around a single vine.

"2…" Flowey tightened his roots around the chute on the other side.

"3!"

With a running start the human stomped on the nearest crack, going through the floor with little resistance. Grip tight on the vine she swung her legs out, using the moment to clear the row of spikes peeking out of another leaf pile.

She smiled as she crawled out of the chute. "Nice teamwork. You alright?"

Flowey winced as he settled back on her arm and retracted the last of his roots. "I'll live."

~}{~

*Three out of four grey rocks push back.

All the human did in response was let out a sigh through her nose. At this point she wouldn't be surprised about what was or wasn't sentient in this place.

Deciding that it would be best to get it over with sooner than later Frisk moved to the large rock and began to push. She half expected some kind of resistance when midway to the switch a streak of white shot out from the dirt. Staggering back she looked up to see a cartoonish moth looking creature staring back at her.

"Oh brother," Flowey mumble under his breath.

 _Ba-bum!_

 _Ba-bum ba-bum!_

 ***Whimsun approached meekly.**

 ***FIGHT *ACT *ITEM *MERCY**

 **FRISK** **LV1** **HP 30/30**

 _Frisk smiled as she gave the little froggit one last pet. Standing up she made to bid them goodbye when the elder of the two spoke up._

 _Ribbit, ribbit. (Take this piece of advice as well.) (The monsters of this world are harsh but perhaps if you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you almost defeat them…) (They might not want to battle you anymore.) Ribbit._

With a calming breath Frisk allowed her body to relax, a smile filled with determination on her lips.

 _Alright, let's do this!_

 ***Whimsun**

 ***Check** **[*Console]**

 ***Terrorise**

"Hey there buddy, my names Fris—"

The words had barely left her mouth when Whimsun let out a terrified shriek and bolted.

 ***YOU WON?**

 ***You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

The human could do nothing other than stand there dumbfounded. "Was it something I said?"

Flowey crossed his leaves. "No Whimsun are just pussies."

~}{~

The pitfall trap after that went much like the spiked bridge, with Flowey guiding the young woman's steps. It was slow going but that was alright, to either it didn't matter how long it took, only that they made it in one piece.

"Okay now what?"

"Rock puzzle, part two."

"Seriously?"

"Why would I joke about this?"

"Good point," she said stepping into the next room.

And indeed it was, another rock puzzle just as Flowey said. Three large rocks meant to be placed on three separate switches to disengage a wall of spikes. Did the architect run out of ideas or were they simply that lazy? Regardless Frisk chose not to dwell on it and got straight to work.

The one noticeable difference between this and its previous iteration was that each rock seemed much heavier than the last. The young woman was panting by the time she managed to get the final rock into place. The chink of spikes retracting into the ground was like music to her ears. Alas the encore stole her breath and nearly her foot as the sharp points flew back into place.

"HOLY BATSHIT ROBIN!"

"Fuck! You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," said Frisk as she placed a hand over her racing heart. "But how the hell…?"

Flowey narrowed his eyes as he looked behind them. "See for yourself."

Following the direction of his gaze revealed that the last rock had somehow returned to its original spot. Suppressing a huff the human stalked back to the rock and with little fanfare started pushing. It was by pure luck that she didn't face plant into the dirt when the miniature boulder zipped to the left.

She tried again, it zipped to the right.

Twice more she did this before her patience ran out.

"Ok pal what the fuck?!"

"What the fuck? What the fuck! That's _my_ line girly!" The voice was easily male with all the subtlety of a chain-smoker gargling sand. Course and abrasive like stone; fitting as it did indeed seem to be coming from the stubborn rock.

 _Whelp, there it is: rocks can talk._

"Who the fuck do you think you are anyway to be pushing me around?" he yelled.

She bit the inside of her cheek, in all fairness it was rather rude to physically move someone without their permission. People had boundaries and she respected that, but it didn't change the fact that she needed his compliance if they wanted to progress. Well, she'd already told Flowey that she wanted to be civil with the monsters that lived here; may as well try to be polite.

Frisk lifted her hands in a placating manner. "Look I'm sorry but—"

"Oh I'm _sure_ you are!"

Her teeth seemed to grit of their own accord, as if the words themselves where grinding into her eardrums. A headache had formed from her earlier strain, a deep-set throb behind the eyes that matched her pulse. And his voice was making it worse.

"That's exactly like you humans isn't!"

By this point her flower friend found himself quite done with this. "Hey buddy would ya cool it! She's really trying to apologize here!"

"And who the fuck are _you_? Her keeper?" the rock snapped back.

"If you could please listen—"

"Who the fuck are _you_? Fossilized dog shit?"

"We only need—"

He ignored her completely now, his focus solely on Flowey as he continued to rant and rave. Frisk rubbed her forehead as the pain increased.

"You bunch of assholes!"

Her ears were ringing.

"Thinking you can do whatever you want just because you have arms and legs!"

 _God could you please just…_

" **SHUT UP!** "

She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Barely realized she done it at all, if not for the silence and the prickling in her throat.

"Ahem. I'm sorry for shouting, but could you please do us a solid and sit on this switch long enough for us to get through?"

"Y-yeah, sure. Fine. Whatever. As long as it gets you outta here." His reply came out in a rush, like he couldn't speak fast enough as he did as asked.

"Thank you," she called over her shoulder. Hands still massaging her temples as she walked off. "Putain, ma tête."

 _So much for my good mood._

"Hey, you feeling alright?" asked Flowey.

Frisk gave him a half smile. "I'll live."

~}{~

"Well that was the weirdest thing I've ever done," said Frisk. Rubbing her thumb over her newest piece of gold before slipping it into her pocket with the others.

The rock puzzle had left the human girl with a bad taste in her mouth and a pain in her head, only somewhat soothed by the finding of another save point nearby. Its power did nothing for her headache but eased any worry about repeating that section. It was also where they had encountered a group of rather _interesting_ monsters.

"Most people would say that after flirting with gelatin." Flowey turned to her, one brow raised. "Remind me why you did that again."

"Fuck if I know why that was an option!"

"They're based on _your_ soul," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The human pouted while the buttercup smirked. He'd never admit it but Flowey was beginning to enjoy their banter. There were few other monsters that lived in the Ruins and even fewer that had the ability to speak. And it was nice… having someone to talk to. Moments of peace, though, never last long and his smile dropped as he saw what lay up ahead.

"Hold up, we've got company." One leaf-hand curled around a lock of the human's hair.

"Is that…?"

"Mhm."

Beyond the room with the mouse hole and impossible cheese was another entryway; blocked by a bed of red leaves and a most curious occupant.

"Whoa, it's an actual ghost." Frisk tilted her head to the side. "Huh, cartoons got them surprisingly right." Marveling at the figure that so resembled the classic bed sheet costume.

"Be careful here. This guy is… unpredictable." His grip on her hair tightened.

"Right."

She approached the ghost with caution, her steps even and slow. Drawing closer she could hear what sounded like… fake snoring?

"Um, excuse me."

The ghost did little more than roll over on its side and continued to snore, louder than before and too fast to be genuine.

"Hello…? I'm sorry to bother you but…" Frisk said edging closer.

Flowey blanched as he saw what she was about to do, moved to stop her before she made the mistake of trying to touch him. As if it could sense it coming the ghost whipped its head around revealing two big hollow eyes and a jagged mouth.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The translucent white sheet now black as night, its features dyed red giving the appearance of bleeding wounds.

The human stumbled back, windmilling her arms to keep from toppling over.

"SEE I TOLD YOU!" yelled Flowey. His steam and petals pressed against the side of her neck.

"Whoa there buddy! Chill! I come in peace! I come in peace!" Frisk said in a rush, her heart pounding from the near heart attack.

 _Oh wait that's aliens._

"Who are you and what do you want?" the ghost hissed. His speaking voice airy and soft like a whisper of wind, while his eyes shifted between her and Flowey.

 _Boys is he's a jumpy thing._

She offered him a patient smile. "My name is Frisk and I just wanted to ask if we could pass."

Napstablook's eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted in indignation. "I'm a ghost why not just walk through me? Everyone does. I'm incorporeal, it's not like I'll _feel_ it."

Her brow furrowed. "Well because for one that's incredibly rude to do to someone, incorporeal or not."

She made sure to look him dead in the eye as she said this, her gut urging her to give him no reason to doubt her sincerity. The spiteful sentiment wasn't lost on the young woman and it was probably safe to say this was a nerve that had been struck far too often.

The ghost was the first to turn away. "What's it matter to you? It's not like you know me. You're a human and I'm just another obstacle in your way!"

The vines on her arm coiled, tense in a way that said Flowey was preparing to strike. She caught his eye in her peripherals, willing him to back down but by the twitch of his roots he would only hold back for so long.

"You're right I don't know you," she said taking a step forward.

"—Frisk what are you doing?"

This time the specter took a step back, not expecting her boldness.

"Doesn't mean you don't still have feelings. And while yes _technically_ you are in my way that doesn't make you an obstacle," she finished.

…

"I'm sorry for startling you by the way. I um, I get… not wanting to be touched suddenly and definitely not by strangers." She chewed on the inside of her cheek while her fingers drummed a nonsensical pattern on her thigh.

…

"So uh anyway you know my name, but I don't know yours. How about we fix that?"

He blinked at her once, twice. "I'm… Napstablook."

"Hi Napstablook, it's nice to make your acquaintance," she smiled giving him a little bow.

Napstablook again seemed to fumble for what do; he shifted his gaze to everything but the human as a light red blush colored his face.

"Hey… do you wanna see this trick I know?" he said when he regained the courage to make eye contact. "It took me a while to get right… I showed this trick to my cousin once and he said it was lame. You better not laugh!"

By now Flowey had relaxed some, his grip on Frisk's arm no longer at risk of cutting off her circulation. Though not completely comfortable with the situation he sat back on her shoulder without a word as Napstablook prepared his trick.

The pair stood in awe as Napstablook shed a stream of tears that seemed to defy the will of gravity itself. Converging into a single mass atop his head, molding itself like clay until it resembled a top hat. "I call it Dapper Blook."

"That's actually kinda cool," said Flowey.

"That was freaking awesome!" said Frisk.

"Re-really?" he asked, his body fading back to a pure white.

"Hell yeah, you look like a real upstanding gent. And for what it's worth I think your cousin is an idiot to not think so too."

Napstablook stared at her still processing her words before he closed his eyes and released a contented sigh. "I usually come to the Ruins when there's nobody around… but today I met somebody decent…" He shook his head. "…Aw what am I saying? I'll get out of your way." Floating backwards until he no longer blocked the entryway.

Frisk turned to Flowey with a pleased grin. "It looks like I'm two for two now."


	6. Breaking Boundaries

To say that Flowey was getting more than a little irritated at this human girl was an understatement.

"Thank you Napstablook, we really appreciate it," Frisk said with a sweet smile.

 _Smug bastard_ , the buttercup thought. The top most petals on his left side twitching. _Eventually this luck of yours is gunna run out and I'd love to see how you get us out of that one._

"It's just moving out of the way… It's no big deal." Like before the ghost looked everywhere but at her, face tinted pale pink and mouth set in a half pout. He really wasn't used to receiving words of thanks or praise.

Flowey made a point to look at no one. "Well it's more than other monsters would do."

"Heh, you're not wrong there."

"Well we better be on our way, Toriel is… expecting us," Frisk wrinkled her nose at the lack of a better term.

Napstablook perked up at that, "She knows you're here?"

Flowey narrowed his eyes and nodded. "She... found us at the flower patch. Would have killed us both then and there, but I guess she decided a quick kill wouldn't be any fun."

"I see. In that case… I won't keep you any longer."

"Right. Come on Frisk."

"It was nice meeting you Napstablook. See ya around," she said waving goodbye.

"Ah yeah… see ya around. Good Luck!"

His gaze lingered as he watched them leave, his soul heavy in the wake of the silence he often sought from visiting the Ruins. For the first time in so long Napstablook found himself enjoying the company of others, something he thought he'd never do again since… Tearing his eyes away he floated back to the bed of leaves he'd claimed as his own, sinking into them as much as his incorporeal form would allow.

"Guess I can… get back to my nap now…" he mumbled into the open air.

~}{~

"Alright chief, which way we going?

"Hm? There's nothing up ahead, go left."

Flowey answered her dismissively, sparing but half a second glance at the path in front of them. He needed to think. It was hard to believe their last encounter had been that easy. Napstablook had always struck him as emotionally temperamental; skittish and quick to anger whenever he felt threatened. Not excessively powerful, nowhere near the threat that Toriel posed, but his immunity to physical attacks made dealing with him near impossible. The flower himself had faced the ghost a handful of times during previous resets. Never killed thank the angel, but he'd left with his fair share of burns from those acidic tears.

That said a fight of that degree should have been unavoidable. But somehow Frisk had gotten them through it with only her words and made Napstablook… a friend? Acquaintance? Possible ally? What was with this human?

"Flowey…"

"…"

"Flowey?"

"…"

" _Hey petals_ you still with me?"

"What?" Flowey jumped turning to see the concerned face of his human ward.

"I asked if we're getting closer to the end. Are you alright?" asked Frisk while poking his little cheek with her finger.

"I'm fine," he said ducking away from her, "just thinking."

"About?"

"I don't understand. Every time someone has gone near that guy he screams at them to leave and then chases them off with his toxic tears. So why not this time?"

"Well, did they attack him first?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Flowey. His face scrunched in genuine confusion as if she'd asked if people needed air to live.

The human in turn raised a brow. "People don't normally attack without a reason. Usually it's because something provoked them."

"Reason? Everbodys out for themselves here: that's the reason."

Frisk opened her mouth to respond when she felt her breath snatched from her.

 _Ba-bum!_

 _Ba-bum ba-bum!_

Her head snapped forward and she inwardly cursed, she'd walked straight into an ambush.

 ***A group of Loox decided to pick on you!**

A trio of one-eyed demons surrounded them, rotund creatures with stubby limbs, bright red skin and a set of devil horns each. They might have been intimidating, if they came up any higher than Frisk's mid-thigh.

The one closest took the lead, firing a stream of bubbles their way for every rapid blink of its bulging eye.

"YOU SEE MY POINT?!" Flowey screamed as the human crouched, rolled and weaved her way through the growing barrage. "WE DID JACK SHIT TO PROVOKE THEM AND NOW THEY'RE ATTACKING US!"

"What an eyesore!" a loox to her left shouted in anger at another miss. His companions followed suit.

"I'll say!" One swiped a claw at her. "Give us your gold!"

She lunged to the right; knee scraping against the stone floor.

The third loox grinned at the leaking cut. "You gunna cry human?"

 _Playground taunts? How cute._

 ***ACT**

 ***Loox**

"No, but you will," she said scooping up a handful of dirt and flinging it into the nearest one's eye.

"And to answer your question no, they're _are_ attacking for a reason and it's that they apparently want to mug me."

"Are you kidding me with this Frisk?!"

"Hey I'm stating a fact, doesn't mean I'm happy about it!" Again he watched her hair bristle in irritation, now accompanied by a flash from her soul.

Flowey pulled at his petals before throwing up his leaves. "FINE! Can we just get this _over with_?"

"Well since you asked nicely."

Throughout the fight Frisk took note of their attack patterns, shots fired at random with little thought to where they were aiming. Aimless, sloppy, several times from the corner of her eye she saw how close a few stray bubbles from one loox's attack had been to nicking another. Perhaps if she planned her steps right she could get them to attack each other? It was worth a shot.

It was a good plan, unfortunately one she thought of too late. Her immediate area of movement had been cut in half by bubbles. Crowding around her like naval mines before bursting, splashing her with scalding water. The human yelped in pain at the hit to her right shoulder blade, her thin shirt doing nothing to protect her. Her skin screamed as the water dripped down her back, the cool air of the Ruins emphasizing the searing burn in every nerve ending.

"Shit!" Flowey twisted around her to inspect the damage. "Hang on I'll hold them off while you heal." Coiling his stem protectively around the young woman the flower summoned his own bullets. Launching them through the space in between bubbles to strike the looxs themselves.

Out of a dozen shots only a handful made their mark. The buttercup took some pride in the damage he's managed to cause but it's wasn't enough. His foes appeared more enraged now than in pain as they lashed out at the pair again. All at once a tri-beam was sent their way, setting off the bubbles that still surround them. He couldn't counter a hit from three different directions and Frisk could only take so many hits. So he did the only logical thing he can do, pressing himself into Frisk's arm he commanded his vines to grow and wrap around them. He'd take a few hits if it meant giving his ward the chance to recover.

A torrent of water rained down on them and when it hit sheer force of will was all that held the vine barrier in place. Blast after blast they were bombarded, his roots were on fire and he couldn't help but scream. It was the heat that got him more than anything, this wasn't the strongest attack he'd ever taken but it reminded him too much of his worst run-ins with _her_.

"Flowey!"

He didn't respond, his focus on keeping their makeshift shield in place. Her's should be on healing and if he let himself be turned into a boiled vegetable just for them both to die he'd never forgive her.

Cries of agony that didn't belong to him rang out as the assault suddenly stopped, followed by the chink of coins hitting the ground.

 ***YOU WON!**

 ***You earned 0 XP and 15 gold.**

"Oh no... did I ruin your party?"

The vines are lowered within an instant to reveal the tattered white sheet of none other than Napstablook. His back turned to them, no doubt making sure the threat had indeed left area.

"What are _you_ doing here?" demanded Flowey.

The ghost paid no mind to the accusatory tone, taking his time to turn and face them properly.

"You're literally a room down... and incredibly loud. ...I can't exactly get back to my nap now can I?" said Napstablook with half lidded eyes.

"Um, sorry for the disturbance?" said Frisk, not quite sure how to respond.

"You're the first..."

"Why did you save us?" asked Flowey.

The ghost opened his mouth then shut it tight, his pupil-less eyeing fall to the floor as an angry blush bloomed across his face. There was a full 30 seconds of silence before Napstablook met their eyes again.

"You're the closest thing to pleasant company I've had in a long time."

"That's _it_?"

"Well it's more than other monsters would do," he smirked. His eyes glowing red with mirth at the dumbfounded, slack-jawed expression on the plant's face.

"Anyway… eh... you're not very far from Toriel's home. Two more puzzles and I… believe you should be at her doorstep."

The human raised a brow, "You're not sure?"

"I'm incorporeal… I don't have to enter any room… if I don't want to."

The buttercup after recovering from his shock crossed his leaves and shrugged. "I'm not much better. I travel underground so I usually end up avoiding those rooms."

"Then I suggest you be careful… I won't be able to hear you… if you get in trouble there."

Yes having to be saved, how humiliating. In some areas being saved was worse than being dusted. It was a testament of your own weakness and a potential risk to your savior. It was stupid to show that kind of attachment! Yet he did it anyway and he actually seemed somewhat fond of them or at least fond of Frisk. Enough that he didn't like the idea of them dying and he had spared them a reload. Maybe… maybe there was something to this idea of Frisk's of play nice.

Decision made he tugged on a lock of the young woman's hair to get her attention, then gestured to the ghost with his eyes. It took her a few seconds to understand his silent request.

"You sure?"

Flowey nodded.

She couldn't help but give his head a little pat or giggle at how he swatted at her fingers. _You softie_.

"In that case Napstablook, if you aren't doing anything would you like to join us?"

"Me?"

"Yeah you, any other ghost around here we didn't notice?"

"…"

"What he means to say is, we wouldn't mind the company. What do ya say?"

"I… I would like that."

"Great, welcome aboard."

"So chief, you were saying?"

"We go forward."

~}{~

*There is just one switch.

"You're not even trying anymore are you?" said Frisk with her hands on her hips.

"Don't take it so lightly…" said Napstablook as he glided passed her. "There's no telling what traps the caretaker has set here."

How could she forget? She could still feel the sting from where her ass met the ground.

"There's no switch around here but I can see cracks in the floor and there are chutes just like in the hall."

"Another sub level… the switch must there."

"We can climb down like last time if you're up for it Flowey."

The flower opened his mouth to answer but paused, his petals twitching as he picked up a low humming.

"Wait does anyone else hear a—"

Then the lights above turned harsh, bathing the whole room in white.

"Fuck that's bright!" the girl yelled as she threw an arm over her eyes.

Flowey was the same, the poor thing curling his petals over his face to shield himself from the light. "SHIT I can't see!"

"Me either..." their ghost friend hissed his eyes shut tight.

"We must have triggered a sensor or something! Frisk let's go back."

"Wait… No don't!"

But Napstablook's warning was a moment too late, the human had already begun shuffling backwards as the lights cut out.

"Great what now?"

"Stay where you are… You mustn't—"

But he was cut off as well as they were met with the full force of another flash.

The trio screamed again as the light blinded them, the human disoriented as spots dance across her vision. She fumbled about trying to keep balance, not seeing that she was creeping closer to one of the cracks. That is until the floor crumbled beneath her and again she fell.

"AAAGGHHAA!"

"Aaaaahhaaa!"

The girl landed with a heavy thud, on her back staring up at the ceiling. She was doing a lot of that lately. For a split second Frisk feared that she'd died a second time, wrenched back to the beginning of the Ruins. It was the red leaves that were all over this area, feeling the crunch of them under her fingers that calmed the spark of terror in her chest. Whether it was from her heart or her soul she wasn't sure, it was getting difficult separating the two.

"Ugh… god that hurt," she hissed as she attempted to sit up. Her bones ached and her back still stung but thankfully nothing felt broken. That was all she needed. That didn't make moving any easier though. "I think I threw out my back."

Flowey groaned as he sat up as much as a flower could, rubbing a leaf over his face. "Now might be a good time to have some of that candy."

 **[*Check]**

 **FRISK** **LV1** **HP 13/30**

"Agreed" she said popping a green taffy into her mouth. Sighing in relief as the chill of healing magic washed over her.

"You're not very good at following directions… are you?"

The pair looked up to see Napstablook descend from the ceiling, regarding them like a cross parent would their overexcited children.

Flowey rolled his eyes, "We're working on it."

The ghost held his disapproving stare for a few more seconds before shaking his head. What was done was done, all he could hope for was that they would learn for next time. Something in his soul told him that with these two, there would most definitely be a next time. With that in mind he glided over the corner of the small room and took hold of the object that had caught his eye.

"Here try this… it might help." His ghostly nub of a hand extended as he offered the human a thin strip of cloth.

"A ribbon?" she asked taking it in her hands and running the length of it between her fingers. The fabric was soft and smooth as silk, the color once vibrant now a faded pink. She would have called it pretty if not for the brown splotches of old blood on it.

"It's an armor item," Flowey added, "Monster attacks will hurt less and even stuff like this might not be as bad."

 _I'm not so sure about that, but…_

 **[*Check]**

*Faded ribbon

*Does not guarantee total protection from pain. But it helps.

"Pourquoi diable pas?" she mumbled as she wrapped it around her wrist and tied it with a bow.

*You equipped the ribbon. +5 DF

"Alright, let's go."

~}{~

It was thanks to Napstablook they were able to find the switch with ease, intangibility really did have its perks. And now that they knew this room's trick they managed to avoid anymore stunts with the lights.

And now after so much meandering they had made it to the final puzzle.

*The far door is not an exit.

*It simply marks a rotation in perspective.

And this puzzle… this puzzle… oh god did this puzzle suck.

It was full of mirrors.

Mirrors, mirrors everywhere; on the walls, the ceiling, even a few on the floor. The three of them could hardly tell what was real and what wasn't. The simple layout of the Ruins making it even harder to distinguish one part of the room from another. The complete uniformity of their surroundings and Frisk's growing frustration causing the human to walk straight into the glass on more than one occasion. By the fifth time she'd had quite enough.

Frisk stood staring at the reflection of another false pillar, hair bristling, teeth bared and growling like a feral dog. "I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS STUPID PLACE. IS TORIEL'S PLAN TO FUCKING ANNOY ME TO DEATH? BECAUSE IF IT IS IT'S WORKING!"

"Tell me about it. Now I remember why I avoid this room!" Flowey snarled as he glared at his own reflection.

"This is getting us nowhere… at this rate we'll be here for hours… Unless..."

"Unless?"

"...We smash our way out. I'll go ahead… and point out any mirrors… while you two destroy as them as we go."

The two blinked, destroy the trap? For all their anger and frustration at this place they'd never considered brute-forcing their way through the obstacles.

"You know what?" said the flower as a wicked smile crossed his face, "I'm game."

The two monsters turned to the human, her face blank as she pondered the idea. Then she knelt down plucking a rather hefty looking rock off the ground as a smirk spread across her own lips.

"Well I'm already in hell," she said tossing the rock in the air and catching it, "what's a little more bad luck?"

Vandalism who knew it could be so therapeutic?

~}{~

By the time they had reached the end, the human and flower were covered in small scratches and bits of broken glass. A trail of mirror shards and splintered wood in their wake, almost nothing was intact. They stood in the threshold of the exit, out of breath and exhausted yet satisfied from the sheer amount of destruction they had caused.

"Finally," Flowey panted, "we made it to the end."

"So you did."


End file.
